I have been fascinated by global cultures and global cuisine for as long as I can remember.  I vividly recall salivating over carne asada (chopped, spiced meat) at a taco stand in Hermasillo, Mexico as a teenager on a family trip.  Likewise, I can still feel the rubbery consistency of the octopus I enjoyed (after naively ordering a “seafood pizza”) as a college student in a small restaurant on the top floor of a Tokyo office building.

After graduating from college with a degree in French, I followed my passion (and my stomach) to France, where I lived for several years as a graduate student and English teacher.  As I reminisce about my time there, my memories are punctuated by flavors, textures and savory smells.  I can still taste my first bite of pâté de champagne (a heartier version of the well-known original) and feel delicate champagne bubbles tickling my throat.  A fascinating Provençal cooking class and tour when I was in my early twenties sealed my fate; I became a culinary traveler.

Since those formative years, I have traveled to four continents and eighteen countries.  In each location, I have taken pleasure in indulging in both gourmet delicacies and quotidian, “down-home” goodies.   Each gustatory memory is accompanied by the images (people, sites, street scenes) and sounds (laughter, conversations, kind words) of the countries I have visited.

Four years ago, I met my foodie match after completing my graduate work in French and Francophone Studies and we set off to explore the world, fueled by our shared passion for food.  We devoured fried pescalitos (tiny fish- head and all!) with cold beers in Seville and relished our daily dose of pinchos (small plats consisting of meats, eggs, cheeses and olives served on small slices of bread) and calimochos (inexpensive red wine mixed with cola) in Bilbao.  We treated ourselves to too many 5-course meals with wine pairings in fine Parisian restaurants to count, and indulged in spicy curries and meaty rosés at some of the finest Indian restaurants in London.

This summer, we will head to Paris for a ten-day scrumptious stay in the city of appetites…uh…lights.  We already have reservations at several must-visit restaurants (Petrelle is at the top of our list).  We will dine at the homes of wonderful friends who spoil us with coq au vin and canard confit, linger in front of market stalls selling dried fruits, taste tangy cornichons (tiny pickles), sample artisanal cheeses, and discover new ways to stuff olives.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

A writer by trade, my extensive travelogues are organized according to unforgettable meals, wines, amuse-bouches, gelatos, cocktails and cheeses. I recently set about refining some of my old foodie journals from my college travels.  As I turn the weathered pages, the sights, sounds, and tastes of every dining adventure come flooding back.  I scour the journals for notes on favorite dishes and flavor profiles.

When I am not following my appetite around the world, my husband and I experiment with global cuisines in our Minnesota kitchen.  Each Friday night, we pour over our library of over 200 cookbooks from around the world to find the right combination of recipes for our bi-monthly international dinner party.  On the first week of the month, we race to the mailbox to grab our copies of Gourmet and Bon Appétit, hoping to find inspiration between those glossy covers.  Even at home, we live our passion for global cuisine everyday, and constantly gather information for our next culinary adventure.